Leveraging the power of data

Transporeon’s AI-controlled transport logistics platforms also include a sustainability hub, which is of particular interest to eco-conscious companies. There, they can calculate their CO₂ emissions down to the last pallet and then also reduce them in a targeted way. The “Carbon Visibility” solution combines the data from carriers, logistics service providers and freight forwarders and, according to the manufacturer, offers “access to all emissions data in one location in order to identify trends and inefficiencies, and to make informed decisions”. Transport management systems and telematics data can be interfaced via the application programming interface (API).

Various interfaces with poor connectivity are, however, still a hindrance to data communication – for example, for the forwarder of the optical devices from Jena. This is where the emissions data platform Shipzero comes in – which is in no way restricted to the shipping industry. Zero represents its mission “to support our customers in the decarbonisation of logistics,” says Martin Jacobs, Director Client Solutions of the Hamburg-based start-up. “There is a significant backlog in the industry, alongside the requirement to comply with lots of new regulatory standards.”

On behalf of our paying customers, around 40 employees work first and foremost to consolidate and harmonise the various data resulting from a logistics or transport order. “CO₂ reporting isn’t a plug-and-play model,” warns Jacobs. Sometimes simply comparing internal data from different departments is a challenge – let alone considering the national differences within a global supply chain. Shipzero can be integrated into the control and scheduling systems of its customers and receives modelled emission factors for all carriers and global transport routes. This enables the customer to work out where leverage can be applied and where there is the scope to reduce the carbon footprint of a transport. “In many cases, assumptions have to be made,” explains Jacobs. “At the same time, we are continually collecting data in order to get a more accurate picture. To do this, we integrate primary consumption data from transport and logistics service providers in order to calculate precise and validated CO₂ values.” He names Sovereign Speed as an example, which uses biofuels that comply with the new HVO 100 standard.  In such cases, the vehicle telematics enable precise calculations to be made regarding how high the CO₂reductions would be in comparison to standard diesel on a specific route and for a specific order.

Ambitious goals are also the focus for Singapore, the biggest maritime location in the world and Hamburg’s third largest trade partner for container handling. The port hub in South East Asia handles around one seventh of all global transshipments and is responsible for 0.11 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. By 2050, the terminals are to achieve net zero emissions. The digital networking of the many companies operating in the port aims to help with this. The main objective is to minimise idle times for ships and vehicles, as well as to achieve shorter port calls in order to reduce the amount of pollutants entering the air of the ecosystem. The Maritime Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) launched the Maritime Single Window “digitalPORT@SG” as its central platform. It is embedded in a just-in-time (JIT) planning and coordination system. This not only allows for more efficient planning of ship calls but also services such as handling and refuelling.

Singapore is growing with breathtaking speed: By 2040, the Tuas mega port, with a capacity of 65 million TEU, is set to become the largest fully automated port in the world. To achieve this, the MPA is currently testing a ship management system equipped with artificial intelligence (AI). This futuristic technology can draw on huge amounts of data to calculate future values, i.e. practically make predictions. This could also help to make complex port logistics processes more sustainable. The Port of Singapore is working at full speed and wants to launch the AI-based Next Generation Vessel Traffic Management System (NGVTMS) platform in 2025. The MPA is building the world’s largest 5G network spanning a port to serve as data infrastructure.

“It’s not just about establishing digital systems but also good connectivity between the systems,” says David Foo, Assistant Chief Executive of Operations Technology at the MPA. This aims to “lead to more efficient use of fuel and reduce unnecessary carbon emissions”. To do this, terminal operators, transshippers, freight forwarders, customs, shipping companies, rail companies and truckers all need to work together effectively. “This is already happening in ports around the world,” says Sven Daniels, Partner at the HHLA consultancy subsidiary HPC Hamburg Port Consulting. In his experience, digital platforms are no longer being used to boost productivity: “Now, sustainability targets are what it’s all about.” But he highlights one of their weaknesses: “In Western Europe alone, there is a port community system in every port, but linking them up is very difficult.” He finds overarching systems, such as a Singapore-style Maritime Single Window, the more logical choice for sustainable logistics.